[Copper plated ball pressure clock]
Copper plated ball pressure clock, France, 19th century, with a height of 53cm, a width of 29cm, and a thickness of 25cm
This clock is made of copper plated gold, with one or two pins on the front and an exposed pendulum on the dial. The entire clock has no winding and uses the ball pressure as the power source to drive the movement. It has a unique structure, with a large wheel disc at the rear of the movement, and the circumference of the disc is divided into 12 spaces. The top part is a storage box that can store 18 steel balls, each weighing 250 grams. The drawer at the bottom of the clock stores the rolled steel balls. First, put four steel balls into the wheel tray, and the wheel tray can rotate. The rear steel balls will roll into the wheel tray from the storage box above in turn. The weight of the steel ball presses the wheel disc, which rotates in a clockwise direction. The wheel disc touches the gear and drives the movement to swing away. Every 16 hours, a steel ball is rolled into the bottom drawer, and then replenished by a ball rolled into the upper storage box. This cycle of use never stops
Using a ball to move a clock without winding it up is rare in clock making and is therefore extremely valuable. This clock is also accompanied by a thermometer and a barometer.
铜镀金滚球压力钟局部